MAHILAS VÄNNER-FRIENDS OF MAHILA
This is a meetingplace for members and interested friends to Mahila Aur Pani Embroidery Club-Kvinnor och vatten-i byn Bhilon Ki Basti near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.Here we will share news about what happens here in Sweden and in "our" village.
We will write in English, sometimes in Swedish.All our members are welcome to take part in this blogging.
(Mahila aur Pani= Kvinnor och vatten)
MEMBERSHIP-FEE:100SEK Bankgiro:420-5431

With sadness and proudness today we say good buy to Bheel Basti. Shanti's Papayafruits may be the symbol for a successful project, where the long-term work obviously has been important. Four or five years ago Shanti listened to our idea to put some plants on her yard.And now the yard is greening and giving fruit.

We are proud for the 24 girls that can go to school supported by swedish friends. Education for girls is the key to development. And the girls will not be married away as children.

Also today the Election-campaign is going on. Children are free from school and men are free from work. You see mostly BJP on the propaganda. People are fed up with the corruption under the rule of Congress Party.

Kulvinder tells about our meeting with the women in the other village yesterday and that she after that went to another meeting to tell about our work. Many women had heard about our work and they commented that we are strong women with education, and "with education we can also become strong!" they said.

Many are sorry that they will not do more embroidery, but they understand that the widows need more support.

Elsa and Lulvinder explains that they can find out odeas themselves to projects that can generate income. For good ideas that will not go to just consumption they can take an interest free micro-loan from their own association: Mahila aur Pani. They discuss work as Spinning and cooperatively buy a mill-mashine for grinding weat.

Monika sings a song from Sweden about the sadness to separate. Even if they don't understand the words the melody tells the feeling of sorrow.

Finally we do the ordinary ritual, standing in a ring holding each others hands bowing deep and saying: "WOMEN ARE STRONG TOGETHER"

We do it twice and then applause, "OOOiii"

We also repeat the symbol for cooperation see the picture.

PS. Now we get the message that Shanti's mother won the election"!!! DS.

Nyss har vi skickat iväg ett brev "to whom it may concern" om Kulvinder och hennes arbete med oss.This is written in a wonderful palm-oasis-restaurant on the beach in Puri in Orissa, with smells of fish and with worried stomachs.Just now we sent a letter "to whom it may concern" about Kulvinder and her work with us.

We start by introducing the girls library box to the small girls. They read, discuss and change books. It's with great pleasure we see and hear their mumbling reading. The bigger girls are studying the Malala-book with interest.

Then the Circus starts! TV make very seriously intervjus first with Elsa, then Kulvinder, and after that the SKSS chairman Surinder Singh,no, also Kunja was intervjued! She shook of nerviosity. But talked very well!

Kulvinder collects the bigger girls and shows them how Facebook works and also our blog… Then we talk about the Library visit and they would like to go there again. Perhaps they can go there together with Kulvinder? She has good ideas about how they can do this. They want to read storybooks , knowledgebooks and about the desert. Elsa gives an excuse for not lätting them have some time in the big place, Gandhi Chowk, when in the City.They long to go outside the town and the village. Kulvinder suggests a daytrip to the city Bikaner!SAD ENOUGH THE NEXT TIME ( after 5 years) WE COME TO VISIT THE VILLAGE THESE GIRLS WILL BE MARRIED!

Friday, November 14, 2014

DETTA ÄR VÅR KULVINDER,
socialarbetare, vår kulturella vägvisare och omistliga genomförare av idéer. Nu alltmer självständig och redo att axla ansvaret för fortsatta arbetet i byn.THIS IS OUR KULVINDER, socialworker, our cultural guide and very important realizer of idéas. Now she is more and more independent and ready to take the full respons for the work in the village.

Mirga, 30, widow with four children, three sisters and one little brother, whom we can also help to go to the same school as his sisters. Mirga wants to create a small grocery shop in her gard. To build a small house for this purpose can cost 25000 Rs. She may take a microloan from us and pay back by making an amount of embroideries every month. And the loan can be paid in two years. But first we ask her to make a market research among her in the neighbourhood, to know if there is a need for such a shop.

The Girl's library box, which is handled by Anita. Thanks to Annette Gillholm, Librarian from Sweden who initiated the idea when she visited the village 2 years ago. Now we know that good books are available in Bikaner or Jodphur.

Suddenly Elsa is brought to the world of red carpets. It's a big wedding for one of the princes. And I'm supposed to be introduced to the Maharadja ( But this was a false message!)

På borggården, musikanter, som börjar spela så snart någon träder in eller ut!In the gard the musicians are starting to play as fast as anybody passes in or out.

Festligheten fortsatte hela natten,den första av fem nätter och dgar! men jag blev trött, tvungen att gå hem.." skall arbeta i morgon"!The party went on all night, one of five nights and days. But I got tirad ( and bored) so I had to go home, "because I will work tomorrow."

Här kommer prinsen och låter sig beskådas av alla damer i damavdelningen.Here is the Prince in the Ladies Yard. Receiving their congratulations!
Följande dag tillbaka i Byn och möta skolflickorna, Här är de i första klass.The following day- back to the village! to meet the schoolgirls! Here are those girls in first class.

BLOGGINTRESSERADE

Mahila-Indian Embroideries

Mahila´s Friends is a supportgroup to Mahila Aur Pani Embroidery club in the village Bhilon Ki Basti, Jaisalmer,Rajasthan.We meet and work to create support to the women and girls who try to make a living with their embroideries.We sell their embroideries and collect money to let girls go to school.Membership fee is 100 SEK a year, pay to Bankgiro 420-5431 Write also your E-mail address.